Flow stabilizing device



March 29, 1938 A. H. RICHARD 2,112,575

FLOW STABILIZING DEVICE Filed NOV. 11, 1936 INVENTOR AllenHRichamZ H l S ATTORNEY.

Patented Mar. 29, 1938 now srsnmzme pnvrcn suenir. Richard, manta-1y. N. J.. assignor to Ingersoli-Rand Company, Jersey City; N. 1., a corporation of New Jersey I Application November 11, 1936, Serial 1:... 110,213'

. '2 Claims. This invention relates to pumps, and more particularly to a ilow stabilizer for centrifugal pumps operating to-maintain a hydraulic pres sure in the line or element into which it dis- 5 charges.

In pumping systems of this character, the pump-frequently continues to run at-i'ull speed and during certain periods of its operation only a suiilcient amount of water is discharged to prevent excessive temperature rise of the water within the pump. Obviously, when operating under these conditions the pressure generatedby the pump impellers is higher than that generated when supplying maximum demand, and if, then the discharge side of the pump is relieved, as by opening a valve or valves, a severe pressure drop may occur'at the inlet end of the pump. This I is due to the inability of the water in the inlet conduit to accelerate its velocity quickly enough to maintain the various pump passages filled.

With the valves closed the water in motion within the pump is already at a velocity in excess of normal and does not require acceleration while the liquid on the suction side is far below its normal velocity and must, therefore, be accelerated when the discharge valve opens. Otherwise, the unbalanced pressures to whichthe rotativeparts of the pump become subjected will cause vibration and frequently serious damage to 7 the pump rotor and the casing- A further undesirable and frequently harmful eifect flowing from this condition of intermittently arrested velocity of the liquid on the inlet side of the pump and the consequent unbalanced pressures resulting when the discharge line is 1 opened is that when the liquid in the, inlet conduitbeginsto.moveitsvelocityissofarinex-.

cess of normal that upon its entrance into the regionoi suhnormsl pressure asevere is impartedtotherotsting parts'andtothepump Itissccordinglyanobiectofthepresentinvention to prevent the occurrence of subnormal pressuresinthevarious as part pointed out pump passages and con-" sequently to avoid subiecting'the' pump parts to The figure in the drawing accompanying this s eciflcation is a longitudinal vertical view, partly'broken away, of a pumping system equipped with a flow stabilizer constructed and arranged in accordance with thepractice oi the invention. 5 Referring more particularly to the drawing, 20

' designates a centrifugal pump, and 2| and 22 its inlet and discharge conduits,respectively. The pump 20 1s shown as being of the. multi-stage type having an'initial stage impeller 23 and a 10 iinal stage impeller 24 which are mounted upon a shaft 25 journalled in bearings 28. The shaft is suitably connected to the shaft 2l of a motor 28 whereby the rotary parts of the pump are driveno I Only fragmentary portions of the inlet and discharge conduits are shown, for convenience of illustration, and it is to be understood that the discharge conduit 22 may form a part of a hydraulic system from which the passage of liquid 20 may "be controlled'by suitable valv so that, in eifect, the pump may be said to discharge into a closedsystem. The discharge conduit 22. is, however, provided with an oriiice 29 that constantly discharges a sumcient amount of liquid to assure circulation of liquid through the pump at all times, and thus prevent undue heating of the liquid within the pump during periods when no liquid is being discharged for its intended pur- In accordance with the practice of the inven- 30 tion, means are provided for assuring a readily available supply of liquid and its prompt introductionor delivery to the inlet side of the pump wheneverthe pressures within the passages'in 35 the pump and the impellers tend toward an unbalanced condition. "The means selected for illustrative purposes comprises a closed tank It which is interposed in the inlet conduit 2|. The tank 32 is arranged closely side ofthepumpsothatonlyaminimumlength 'or section of conduit II is required :to aflord communication between theinterior of the tank and the inlet chamber ii of the pump. The sections of the conduit II are preferably connected 4!; closely adjacent the lowermost portion 01' the tank-2Q and all the. liquid supplied to the pump passes through the interior 22 of the tank which constitutes a storage chamber for liquid.

The tank is of such capacity as to contain 5 an amount of. liquid sumcient, or in excess of that required, to maintain the pump es thor- N o shl fllled upon the occurrence of a sudden demand upon the discharge side until the velocity oi'theliqiudintheinietconduitflmayreschg adjacent the inlet 40 'andhasaslotlltorec mer'ste at which it nor-mam flows when mans passes from ;the discharge line for it's intended Dim- To the end that the liquid in the storage chamber s: mayhesuppliedtothepumpundernormal pressure, even though the velocity of the liquid in the conduit leading to the storage chamber is below normal, the storage chamber is provided with suitable valve mechaniam designated. in generaL by SI, adapted to admit gaseous fluid under pressure into the upper portion of the storage reservoir. which is. unvented. and above the level of the liquid within the storage reservoir. The valve mechanism It comprises a-casing as having a chamber ll into which is introduced pressure fluid by a conduit 30 which may lead from a suitable source of fluid M 1. Inthewaliodthechamber llisaportl'l which is controlled by a needle .casing 84. The needle valve SI is actuated to the open position by a float ll having an arm II which is pivoted at its iree end to thecasing I vs a pin 43 carried by arm II is preierahly the needle valve 38. The

of L-shape and on the depending portion thereoi is mounted the float member '0. a

The operation of the pump is as follows: Let it be assumed that all the valves or outlets on the discharge side 0! the pump. other than the orifice is are closed. Under this conditionot operation the pressure .within the'discharge conduit II is. oi

course, the same or higher than when the pump is discharging its full rated capacity and only an amount of liquid such as that which may pass through the cruisers circulates through the pump so that the velocity of the water in the inlet conduit ii is necessarily low. Let it further be assumed that. upon the initial introduction oi liquid to the pump, the liquid risesin the storage reservoir ember. The needle "until it reaches the vaiveflslidahleinthe liquid, and means in the ated by a maximum level 0! liquid valve 8! isthen opened and fluid M, from the chamber is through the port 81 into the upper portion oi the chamber Ifthenthepressureinthedischarge conduitis suddenly reduced the liquid in the storage chamber "immediately flows into the passages of the pump under pressure d maintains said passages adequately iilled. By suitably proportioning the storage chamber 82 a sumcient supply or liquid may be delivered from the storage chamber to tleig pump through the brie! period of time requi by the liquid in the portion of the inlet conduit llleading from the locity., v

I claim: v i. In a flow stabilizing device, the combination supply to gain its normal vect a centrifugal pump and an inlet conduit thereior, a tank in the inlet line adjacent the inlet opening of the pump iorming a storage chamber tor-"liquid and having an unvented upper portion,

and means operating in response to a predetermined maximum level of the liquid in the storage chamber for introducing gaseous fluid under pressure into the. storage chamber to accelerate the now oi liquid irom the storage chamber into the 2. In a hydraulic system, the combination of .inletand, discharge conduits and a pump interposed between the conduits and operating to maintain liquid under pressure in.the discharge conduit, means interposed in the inlet conduit adjacent the pump iorming a storage chamber for storage chamber actuin the storags Lchamber for introducing gaseous into storage chamber to accelerate the (low oi liquid from the storage chamber into the pump upon the occurrence 0! a a sudden reductio oi pressure in the discharge conduit.

ALLEN H. RICHARD. 

